Building your individual PC will be fairly rattling satisfying while you’re not paying by means of the nostril for considered one of right now’s best graphics cards and really handle to get all of it working while you first flip it on, however typically we simply need another person do the onerous work for us – particularly when that somebody is graphics card extraordinaire Zotac and the PC in query is the delightfully diddy MEK1.
I say diddy – the MEK1 continues to be positively monstrous in comparison with Zotac’s different assortment of miniature media PCs and tiddly little NUC items they’ve made through the years. But at simply over 418mm tall, a svelte 118mm broad and a smooth 415mm deep, this mini-ITX construct is arguably one of many neatest sorts of gaming PC you will get that stills match on high of your desk with out it trying fully ridiculous – and its 6GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 graphics card and Intel Core i5 CPU aren’t unhealthy both. Let’s have a look.
Priced at a bit over £1170 within the UK, the Zotac MEK1 isn’t precisely low cost in comparison with other pre-built systems with this kind of spec. As with something pint-sized within the fantastic world of expertise, although, it’s these fun-size dimensions you’re paying additional for – and a fast look contained in the MEK1’s case exhibits there’s a good quantity of wiring gymnastics happening to squeeze every little thing in.
Still, I’d wager you’re getting a a lot better discount out of the MEK1 than a similarly-priced gaming laptop computer, for example, and there’s one thing very pleasing about with the ability to perch a PC on my desk with out having to fumble round beneath and hauling it out each time I wish to stick in one other USB cable.
It can also be, dare I say it, a reasonably pleasant-looking chassis. Yes, you’re proper in considering it bears a placing resemblance to an overgrown Xbox 360 minus the disk-tray, however the extra I gazed into the nice and cozy, soothing glow of its twin LED strips, the extra enamoured I turned with it. Unlike the higher specced black versions of the MEK1, the massive stretches of white plastic right here helped intensify the colors fading out and in of its RGB halo ring (which you’ll be able to at all times flip off, in case you desire), whereas the pair of black fan grills on both aspect supplied a welcome sense of distinction.
It additionally comes with two little ft that slot in beneath to assist preserve it good and regular, and the entrance I/O panel has a bit plastic door that may cover its pulsing blue energy button if it proves too distracting for you. You’ll have to preserve it open if you wish to benefit from its two USB3 ports or separate headphone and microphone jacks, nevertheless it’s a pleasant contact all the identical.
Speaking of ports, you get a large choice around the again of the MEK1, together with one other six USB ports (4 of that are USB3), 7.1 channel audio with an S/PDIF output, twin Gigabit Ethernet, twin antenna connectors for its 802.11ac Wi-Fi (that are bundled within the field) and a legacy PS/2 port. Its GTX 1060 card additionally supplies three DisplayPort 1.four outputs and single HDMI 2.zero and DVI-D ports that may help as much as a most of 4 exterior shows.
Speaking of which, let’s discuss video games efficiency. Paired with a quad-core 3.0GHz Intel Core i5-7400 processor (alas, no Coffee Lake right here, I’m afraid) and 16GB of RAM, the MEK1’s GTX 1060 put in an admirable efficiency for such a small construct, proving itself to be an nearly flawless 60fps 1920×1080 machine that has sufficient chops to take issues as much as 2560×1440 with solely a few compromises.
Starting with the ever-lovely Doom, the MEK1 breezed by means of its demon-infested hellscape with tremendous clean body charges of round 100fps on Ultra at 1080p and between 60-70fps on Ultra at 1440p. I noticed just about the identical figures in Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus on its high Mein Leben setting as nicely, which is spectacular for a PC our good friend BJ Blazkowicz may in all probability crush with a single hand.
Hitman, likewise, slunk by means of its inner benchmark with a tough common of 67fps at 1080p on Ultra every little thing, and solely dipped to round 53fps once I bumped up the decision to 1440p. Orc homicide simulator Middle-earth: Shadow of War, in the meantime, was a bit choppier in its execution, however nonetheless got here in with a simple 54fps at 1080p on Ultra and a really moderately 44fps at 1440p (additionally on Ultra).
Its gaming muscle started to wither barely when it got here to Rise of the Tomb Raider‘s demanding SSAA, as even at 1080p it only managed to wade through its internal benchmarking suite with an overall average of 36fps on Very High. Drop the anti-aliasing down to its lowest FXAA setting at the same resolution and graphics option, however, and you’ll see body charges energy again as much as a silky common of 68fps. I’d suggest doing this when enjoying at 1440p as nicely, as one of the best you’re going to get on Very High with FXAA is a mean of 45fps.
Strategy followers might have to soak up a few losses within the graphics division as nicely in the event that they’ve obtained their eye on 60fps, as enjoying Total War: Warhammer II at 1080p on Ultra solely yielded round 50fps throughout its inner battle, marketing campaign and new Skaven benchmarks. Dropping all the way down to High noticed its pace restored to 60fps, however these enjoying at 1440p will probably should beat a retreat even additional again to Low for these sort of numbers, as even Medium solely produced an total common of round 50fps at this decision.
Assassin’s Creed Origins took a little bit of a beating as nicely on its highest graphics settings, however I nonetheless managed round 57fps on High at 1080p – which was confusingly deemed ‘Medium’ efficiency by Ubisoft’s inner benchmark – and a so-called ‘Stable’ 42fps common utilizing the identical setting at 1440p – which is fairly admirable contemplating it’s such a demanding recreation.
Alas, even the Witcher III couldn’t fairly work its magic on Ultra at 1080p, conjuring between 40-50fps relying on whether or not I used to be exterior or in a densely populated city. High, then again, went down a deal with, hitting the complete 60fps no matter location. Anyone aiming to play at 60fps at 1440p, nonetheless, must accept Medium.
The MEK1’s largest take a look at, nonetheless, was Final Fantasy XV and its myriad of shiny Nvidia results. Turn every little thing off, and you may nonetheless get a good 60fps on High at 1080p, however even switching on simply Hairworks and Turf Effects noticed this tumble to round 40-45fps. That’s nonetheless eminently playable, in fact, however strive enabling ShadowLibs and VXAO as nicely and it’ll really feel such as you’ve solid Slow as an alternative of Haste. 1440p gamers, in the meantime, might should name it a day at Average, as all I used to be capable of handle with each Nvidia impact turned off was a tough common of 40fps.
Still, I’d say that’s nonetheless a good set of outcomes for such a compact PC. On the entire, I used to be capable of play at High or, er, increased most often, and solely in a few cases did I’ve to accept one thing a bit extra middling – and that was often solely once I moved as much as 1440p. As a 1080p machine, due to this fact, it’s a really neat little bundle certainly, infinitely preferable to the rocket-whirring din of a gaming laptop computer and a heck of so much smarter than your common entry-level tower construct.
With a little bit of fiddling round in its chassis, there’s potential to improve it at a later date, too – regardless of Zotac’s giant ‘DO NOT TOUCH’ sticker plastered over the MEK1’s GPU and the truth that you’d technically be breaking its guarantee within the course of. You’d should know what you had been doing given this isn’t your typical PC construct (and ensure any potential graphics card alternative you get really matches inside its tight dimension constraints), however supplied you’ve obtained the experience, there’s undoubtedly much more wiggle-room right here than, say, a equally priced laptop computer.
I have to admit, it’s a disgrace Zotac have solely fitted out the MEK1 with considered one of Intel’s seventh Gen Kaby Lake Core i5s as an alternative of a more recent eighth Gen Coffee Lake one, however you’re nonetheless a extremely succesful CPU that gives greater than sufficient oomph for many of your each day computing duties.
With Geekbench four outcomes of 4358 in its single core take a look at and 12653 in its multicore take a look at, the MEK1’s quad-core 3.0GHz Intel Core i5-7400 simply surpasses the sort of pace and effectivity you’ll be able to anticipate from a Core i7-7700HQ gaming laptop computer such because the Alienware 13 and Dell Inspiron 15 7000 Gaming, and its single core efficiency sits roughly between AMD’s Ryzen 5 2600 and Ryzen 7 2700 chips.
What you’re primarily shedding out on with Kaby Lake, nonetheless, is its multicore efficiency, because the introduction of Coffee Lake lastly noticed Intel make the leap from quad-core Core i5 CPUs to 6. The distinction was made fairly stark in my benchmark outcomes, too, with the Ryzen 5 2600 belting forward of the i5-7400 with Geekbench four outcomes of 20752, whereas Intel’s Core i5-8600Okay goes additional nonetheless with 21454, exhibiting a respective enhance in pace of 64% and 69%.
The similar factor occurred in Cinebench R15 as nicely. The MEK1 got here in simply behind its fashionable rivals within the single core take a look at with its rating of 146, however its multicore rating of simply 539 was miles behind, exhibiting a lower of 48% in comparison with the i5-8600Okay and 57% in comparison with the Ryzen 5 2600.
To be sincere, although, I’m not overly bothered by it. You would possibly really feel the distinction if a part of your MEK1 plans contain utilizing it for many intensive photograph and video modifying, however I doubt you’ll actually discover the distinction wherever else.
Indeed, when Zotac have additionally kitted out the MEK1 with a 240GB NVMe SSD (along with a 1TB HDD for all these beautiful recreation installs), the MEK1 feels fairly rattling nippy in day-to-day use. Windows loaded in a flash, and I by no means felt like I used to be left ready when doing a lightweight little bit of image modifying. Admittedly, the MEK1’s SSD nonetheless has some strategy to go earlier than it may well match the lightning quick sequential speeds of the best SSDs just like the Samsung 970 Evo or WD Black 3D NVMe SSD, however its random learn and write speeds aren’t really that far behind the competitors.
In AS SSD’s random 4K take a look at, for example, the MEK1 managed a good learn pace of 50.2MB/s, which plonks it proper in the course of the 970 Evo and WD Black’s outcomes. Its write pace of 100.8MB/s wasn’t fairly so spectacular by comparability, in reality placing it extra on par with a conventional 2.5in SATA SSD such because the Samsung 860 Evo than the WD or 970 Evo. Much just like the CPU conundrum, although, this isn’t a large downside in my eyes. Besides, sticking something extra upmarket in right here would probably solely make the MEK1 much more costly than it already is. Assuming it is a cost-cutting train, it is a compromise I’m keen to place up with.
Stumping up over a grand for any sort of PC buy – be it a laptop computer or ready-made PC – is, in fact, not a call to be taken calmly. After all, at that sort of value, you wish to make certain you’re getting your cash’s value. For me, Zotac’s MEK1 ticks lots of containers. It’s small, highly effective, has respectable sufficient storage and might be one of the crucial enticing gaming PCs I’ve ever examined and used each day. Some small-form issue PCs are extra hassle than they’re value – and I ought to know, having put up with Silverstone’s FT03B mini tower case for plenty of years – however the MEK1 straddles that line between pleasant practicality and compact loveliness much more successfully than different circumstances I’ve used prior to now.
Yes, you should buy a similarly-specced PC for lots much less that’s each simpler to improve and take aside sooner or later, and sure, that one in all probability gained’t produce fairly such a loud and audible hum because the MEK1. You can even get a barely extra modern equivalent spec with a correct Core i5-8400 Coffee Lake chip in it and a contact extra storage for an additional £20 or so. But you’re additionally getting a big, heavy black field that’s in all probability going to should stay underneath a desk at that sort of value, which is why the MEK1 is so rattling interesting. Maybe it’s simply me, however there’s one thing innately pleasing about having my PC in full view on my desk as an alternative of tucked away and hidden beneath it, and once I don’t should cope with the faff of getting to construct it myself, that’s even higher. It will get a thumbs-up.
